Wines from Sicily

In the upper areas of the historic Contrada Rovittello – at an altitude of around 700 metres, on volcanic rock with a high basalt content – the old Nerello Mascalese vines of Il Musmeci take root. Some of them are even over 100 years old, their roots penetrating deep into the barren, mineral-rich soil. The north-eastern flank of Mount Etna provides a cool microclimate with a strong contrast between day and night – decisive for the aromatic precision. The name Il Musmeci is a tribute to the former owner of the parcel, Cav. Santi Musmeci, whose respect for terroir and tradition became the legacy of this wine.

In 1985, Lucio Tasca d'Almerita embarked on an experiment that was to become legendary. After an initial trial with cuttings from Burgundy, he planted five hectares of Chardonnay in the lower part of the San Francesco hill – at an altitude of 530 metres, facing south-east, where the Sicilian sun meets clayey-sandy soils. It was a time when international grape varieties were not yet officially recognised in Sicily, but Lucio followed his vision. This Burgundian journey to Regaleali resulted in a Chardonnay of impressive complexity. It matures for eight months in Liters French oak barrels from Allier and Tronçais, seventy percent in new barriques. The chalky sediments of the old river deposits lend it a mineral depth, while the altitude and Sicilian temperature fluctuations create the tension that characterises great Chardonnays.

Vigna San Francesco Cabernet Sauvignon is a solitaire among Sicilian red wines - not a Mediterranean outlier, but an expressive, noble representative of its grape variety, grown at an altitude of 570 metres in the cool vineyards of the Tenuta Regaleali winery in the heart of Sicily. The San Francesco parcel, planted with Cabernet since 1985, rests on calcareous clay soils whose structure and drainage lend the wine precision, depth and vigour.

In 1959, Count Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita planted Perricone and Nero d'Avola on the San Lucio hill using the Alberello system – an investment in a future that hardly any Sicilian could have imagined at the time. In 1970, the first vintage was released: the first single-vineyard wine the island had ever produced. The 2012 vintage showcases the blend in its most complex form: 63% Nero d'Avola forms the foundation, complemented by 37% of other red varieties from the estate, including Perricone and small proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Traditional red wine fermentation in stainless steel, 20 days' contact with the skins, full malolactic fermentation, followed by 18 months in newLiters made from Allier and Tronçais oak.

Pianodario is a landscape comprising 99 terraces. Held in place by dry stone walls that have become integrated into the hillside over the centuries, the land slopes from south to north at a gradient of seven% – a typical Etna vineyard, in which every single terrace is a microterroir in its own right. The soil tells an even older story: volcanic formations dating from between 4,000 and 15,000 years ago, beneath which far older layers, estimated to be between 30,000 and 40,000 years old, are thought to lie. Geological time, compressed into just a few metres of earth. The vines were only planted in 2010, at an altitude of 775 metres, facing north-east to south-west, trained using the espalier and gobelet systems. The site – high-altitude, well-ventilated and exposed to the cooling influence of the volcano – significantly slows the ripening of the Nerello Mascalese. Harvesting consequently begins late, often not until the first few days of November. Traditional red wine fermentation at 25 to 30°C, followed by complete malolactic fermentation; then comes the decisive stylistic difference from other Etna Reds: ageing in large 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak casks, rather than in small French barriques. The wood remains neutral, taking a back seat and allowing the fruit and terroir to take centre stage.

The Pianodario vineyard is situated at an average altitude of 775 metres above sea level, between the hamlet of Montelaguardia and Randazzo. It comprises approximately 8 hectares of vineyards. The soils are of volcanic origin and date back up to 40,000 years.

Tasca became involved with Mount Etna at an early stage, and the latest result of this long-standing experience is four new single-vineyard wines from the Tascante estate: Contrada Rampante, Pianodario, Sciaranuova and Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia (V.V.). The wines are delicate and brooding, and despite their power, acidity and firm tannins, they are very elegant, full of finesse and light on the palate. Each of the four plots lends the wine a slightly different style and character – determined by the altitude, soil composition and morphology of the historic lava flows. High annual rainfall ensures the soil has ample water reserves, and the temperature fluctuations between day and night enhance the diversity of the grapes' aromas and, ultimately, their ageing potential.

2017 was a year of drought in Sicily. Little rain, high temperatures, a yield of just 67 double centners per hectare – significantly below what San Lucio usually produces in more balanced years. The vines, accustomed for decades to this barren, calcareous soil, weathered the drought with the serenity of old Alberello vines. The blend for this vintage returns closely to the original proportions of 1959: 58% Nero d'Avola, 42% Perricone. Hand-harvested at 480 metres, south-southeast exposure, traditional fermentation in stainless steel, 20 days' maceration, 18 months in new French barriques made from Allier and Tronçais oak.

Whilst Santo Spirito unfolds its floral elegance at an airy altitude of 700 to 800 metres, Calderara Sottana is rooted in a completely different world. Just a few kilometres away, yet geologically distinct, this Contrada lies at an altitude of 620 to 670 metres directly adjacent to the vineyard – and it is here that the extraordinary complexity of the Etna terroir reveals itself. In Calderara Sottana, Marc de Grazia discovered one of Sicily's rarest treasures: a pure, elliptical terroir, formed 60,000 years ago by volcanic eruptions. Of the hundreds of contrade on Mount Etna, only three possess this unadulterated geological fingerprint, and Calderara is one of them. Whilst the Santo Spirito captivates with its crystalline minerality and maritime freshness, the Calderara Sottana is more opulent, creamier and warmer.

Tasca got involved in Etna early on and the latest result of these years of experience are four new single vineyard wines from the Tascante estate: Contrada Rampante, Pianodario, Sciaranuova and Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia (V.V.). The wines are delicate and profound, and despite their power, acidity and taut tannin, very elegant, finesse-rich and light-footed on the palate. Each of the four plots brings a slightly different style and personality to the wine - due to the altitude, soil composition and morphology of the historic lava flows. A high annual rainfall ensures that the soil has all the water it needs, and the temperature fluctuations between day and night support the aromatic diversity of the grapes and ultimately the ripening potential.

The single vineyard Bufaleffi is considered one of the most historic cru zones around Pachino, the historic heart of Nero d'Avola. The deep red soils with a high iron and lime content, the hot climate tempered by the sea air at night and the organic cultivation form the foundation of this single vineyard wine. The ungrafted vines are over fifty years old, the yield is low and the harvest is selective and manual. After the classic mash fermentation, the wine matures for over two years in used barriques and then for a long time in the bottle – this gives it density, structure and expression.

Animanaturale from vines over 60 years old is the lightest and freshest wine from the new Animaetna line of the small garage winery Contrada Santa Spirito, which belongs to Feudo Maccari. Matured almost entirely in amphorae, the Nerello Mascalese grape presents itself here in all its fruitiness and freshness, completely unadulterated and pure. The grapes are foot-pressed, spontaneous fermentation is carried out using the grapes' own yeasts, racking and bottling take place according to the phases of the moon. On the palate, the flavours of red fruits and berries are tangy and vibrant with a precise and very mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Count Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita created the first expression of the highest quality and longevity in Sicilian viticulture in 1970 with the Rosso del Conte – a wine that changed the oenological future of the island forever. The grapes come from the Vigna San Lucio, Regaleali's first large vineyard, born in 1959 at an altitude of 480 metres with a south-south-easterly exposure, where Nero d'Avola and Perricone have thrived in harmonious symbiosis for generations. The vines grow in the Alberello system, the oldest form of cultivation in the Mediterranean, on yellow-brown, loamy-sandy soils with calcareous inclusions. A philosophy of perfection that has developed over five decades through various ageing methods: from the original chestnut barrels to Slavonian oak and today's French barriques.

The same Contrada, a completely different wine: whilst the Bianco from Cavaliere captivates with its freshness and salinity, the Rosso reveals the other side of this exceptional terroir: Burgundian elegance, volcanic depth and a tannin structure of silky precision. At an altitude of 900 metres on the south-western slope of Mount Etna – higher than most Etna vineyards – 50-year-old Nerello Mascalese vines are trained using the Guyot system. The skeletal volcanic sands, with their sub-acidic profile and excellent drainage, force the roots deep into the soil. Low rainfall, abundant sunshine and dramatic day-night temperature fluctuations characterise a microclimate that endows the grapes with exceptional aromatic complexity. Hand-harvested in mid-October, destemmed, then 21 days of maceration at a controlled temperature using the estate's own Etna yeasts – the result of years of research. The wine matures for twelve months in French tonneaux, then in stainless steel, followed by ten months of bottle ageing.

It was 1959 when Count Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita set his sights on a hill on his Regaleali estate, which the farmers simply called San Lucio – after the small chapel that stood at the top. He planted Perricone and Nero d'Avola on this hill, in the heart of Sicily, far from any seashore, on clayey soil at an altitude of around 500 metres. Both ripened late, both deeply rooted in the island. What followed was no ordinary wine, but an assertion: that Sicily needs no apology. The first Rosso del Conte was produced from the 1970 harvest and was the island's first single-vineyard cru – at a time when Sicily was primarily known for mass-produced wines and the rest of Italy hardly looked at it. Count Giuseppe wanted to create a red wine that could compete with the world's great reds – without Cabernet, without Merlot, without a foreign language. Only the island itself.

Of the four Gulfi-Cru, this is the vineyard closest to the sea, less than 700 metres away and only 10-15 metres above sea level. With vines that grow on sandy soils. A beautiful, multi-layered wine that shows the elegant side of Nero d'Avola that few producers are ever able to present. Precise aromas of ripe red cherries, flint, orange peel, lavender and violets. Silky and juicy on the palate, with a refined but very concentrated extract that almost crushes the taste buds, yet remains lively and not at all heavy, giving the flavours of red cherries, raspberries, flowers and minerals beautiful definition and lift. The finish is very deep and long, with very soft tannins, a beguiling aroma and extreme finesse; very Barolo-like. SUPERIORE.DE

This is where it all began. In Viagrande, on the south-eastern slope of Mount Etna, where Giuseppe Benanti's grandfather planted the first vines at the end of the 19th century, lies the heart of the estate. The Contrada Monte Serra is no ordinary vineyard – it rises on an extinct volcanic cone that once erupted independently of the main crater, and whose pyroclastic deposits created a unique soil: light, rich in mineral matter, with exceptional drainage. At an altitude of just 450 metres, closer to the Ionian Sea than the other Contrade, the grapes ripen earlier here and develop a softer, more approachable elegance. The vines – some over 100 years old – are trained in the traditional "alberello" style on small terraces with dry stone walls made of lava rock, at an extremely high density of 9,000 vines per hectare. The sandy volcanic soils are rich in "Ripiddu", the characteristic small pumice fragments found on Mount Etna.

On the northern border with Guardiola, where the barren, steep slopes of the higher ground give way to gentle terraces, lies one of the most beautiful spots on Mount Etna: Santo Spirito. Here, where the slopes gently descend towards the Alcantara Valley, a paradox of nature is revealed. Whilst neighbouring Guardiola struggles with barren, stony soils, Santo Spirito boasts lush vegetation – deep, rich volcanic ash that nourishes a luxuriant carpet of grass and vigorous vines that display their bountiful vigour.

For some years now, Matteo Catania has been holding back a few hundred bottles of his wines in the best vintages in order to offer them to his most loyal importers after a few years. From this "private reserve" comes Nerosanloré 2012, which is now - in spring 2023 - offered in small quantities with 7 years of further bottle ageing quasi in Riserva quality.